Ross Ulbricht, better known by his pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts", is an American who created and managed the Silk Road website, an e-commerce platform that allowed the sale of drugs and other illicit items.
Some of the charges included:
- Use of Bitcoin as a form of payment to facilitate illegal transactions;
- Use of a special communication network, known as Tor, to hide users' identities and locations;
- Creation of an anonymous and safe environment so that users could purchase and pass on drugs and other illicit items.
He was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to two life sentences plus 40 years without the possibility of parole in 2015.
Ulbricht created Silk Road in 2011, using cutting-edge technology to ensure users' anonymity. The site quickly became a major marketplace for drugs and other illicit items, with more than 100,000 users and transactions exceeding $1 billion.
However, in 2025, United States President Donald Trump granted Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon, nullifying his sentence. This decision was seen as a surprise by many, considering the gravity of Ulbricht's crimes. #Trump #RossUlbricht